Man kills 10 family members, including children, in Afghanistan

A man shot dead 10 members of his family, including his wives and children, in south-western Afghanistan at the weekend, two local officials told dpa on Monday.

The incident was on Sunday in the city of Zaranj near the Iranian border with Iran, the director of information and culture department in the province, Habib Elham, said.

According to the officials, the victims included two wives of the suspected killer, his four children and his in-law's family members.

Doctors said one of the murdered women was seven months pregnant.

Provincial police spokesperson Bahram Haqmal identified the suspected murderer as "Wais" and said that the killings occurred in two different locations and that the suspect fled the crime sites by car.

Close circuit TV images gathered by police show the suspect armed with an AK-47 while wearing a combat vest.

Police said initial information shows that he wanted to marry for the third time, after falling in love with a girl, but faced resistance from his wives and was subjected to physical violence from his in-laws.

Wais has warned that he would kill anyone trying to stop him, the police added.

Another official said the exact motive of the incident was not clear yet, but it is was apparently due to "family problems."

Since the Taliban's return to power, domestic violence, especially mysterious and unsolved killings of women, have increasingly been reported in the conservative society.